What's New With You?

well...i know i promised a looooooooong time ago that i'd update this thing. but life just doesn't slow down!! plus facebook takes up a lot of time! ;) but, for all you who still don't have facebook...in case you didn't know...

I'M COURTING! :-D

david fountain and i have been courting for...um...six weeks! we have spent that time trying to get to know each other and determine God's will for our lives and whether that includes marriage (did i just type that?! :). during this time we've gotten lots of coffee, met tons of each other's relatives (poor guy! ;), walked around half of orlando (haha!), and gone on a road trip to georgia (shout out to all my people there ;). it's soooo hard to believe it's been six weeks already!

lots of you don't know who he is yet so i'll give you a quick run down (which i know he's going to love). david is 35 and the second youngest of five kiddos (his twin brother daren is 7 minutes younger than him...apparently this is of GREAT importance to know! ;). he grew up just outside of atlanta and most of his family still live in the same area where they grew up - so cool! david went to lee university and then lived and worked in nashville for about ten years. he moved to orlando four years ago and attended a church in the area until he happened upon metro life church. he ended up in the same singles care group i was in and i apparently was pretty rude to him when he first tried to talk to me... ::sigh:: i thiiiiiiiiiiiiink he's forgiven me. :-D we worked together some on the Yes2Marriage campaign (actually he totally rescued me in helpin' out last minute). and then we started hangin out more and...well...fast forward to february 10 which was our first official date. :)

that's super short and quick - so sorry!! and, for those of you who don't know ME....read my blog. ;)

in these six weeks i have learned soooooooo much about relationships and i think i've put david through quite a bit already. :-D it's been a lot of fun and i told him this past weekend that my weekends just keep getting funner (don't be hatin' the word, i just made it one!). i am so grateful for this opportunity to seek God's will and to be in prayer over something like this with someone like he is. we would appreciate your prayers and are very grateful for your encouragement.

this concludes our update for the moment...

"With One Voice"

Ok, while on my mini personal retreat, I am reading With One Voice (Alex Chediak). Following chapter 1 which discusses the cultural influences on why/when/how men and women currently marry compared with 100 years ago, Chediak argues the "normalcy" of marriage. After discussing eight different ways that singles usually approach marriage, he says, "...if you are single, you should be giving yourself with particular earnestness to ministry that extends the kingdom of God. You have the freedom to go and come as you please, but you should use it not for yourself, but for others to the glory of God. You are a gift to God's church. Use it well, as one who will have to give an account."

Wow. How often do I see my single years not only as a trial but also to do what I please? Even while doing all of the "good things" and being involved in various church-related activities my vision for how I serve has become increasingly narrow. What about what I am doing is furthering the Gospel? Am I being purposeful in my time as a single? Am I seeking opportunities to serve? Am I evaluating the areas where I currently serve to discern if God would have me continue in them?

I'm not just referring to moving to a far-away country to give your life away: how can we use these days (months and years) for the glory of God? What ways is God calling us to increase both in maturity and wisdom as well as in service to Him, His church and the lost? And if we had to currently give an account to the Lord for our actions...what would He say?

(please feel free to leave your thoughts, comments, suggestions. i'm especially curious to hear thoughts from married ppl on their encouragement as well as other singles and their current experiences, ideas and thoughts.)

Let me off…

Let me off
Of this merry-go-round -
This ride of choice,
This ride of force.
It rarely stops,
Gaining speed instead,
And challenges all
To keep up with
Its incessant,
Ceaseless
Unremitting
Relentless
Speed towards…what?
Towards more
Of what does not satisfy.
More of this
And more of that.
Leaving each
Fully
Unsatisfied.

Let me off
So that I may do
What I was called.
Let me off
And I will walk instead.
Let me off
And I can help,
Lend a hand
Or feed the hungry.
Let me off
And I can learn
To speak with those
Who cannot hear.
Let me off
And I will take the time
To listen to the mother
Who feels her only option
Is to murder
The child that she created.

Let me off
And I will give
Living Water
To those with parched
And thirsty souls.
Let me off…

Shi Hua

Fun ways to get involved with Yes2Marriage!!!!

Hey friends!

We're on the home stretch! Polls are saying we’re at 57% or 59% which means we’re close but it could STILL go either way!!

I was on a conference call tonight with John Stemberger, Nathan Dunn and others around the state. I came away with a few projects that I need your help on. Here goes:

- We just found out that Sarah Palin will be at Fantasy of Flight in Lakeland on Saturday, November 1st!! The doors open at 9am but people will be in line as early as 7am. We’re asking for volunteers to be there that early if possible (or whenever you can be there) and pass out fliers to the (tens of?) thousands who are expected to turn out!! The volunteers are then welcome to stay for the program (print out free tickets to get in at: Florida.JohnMcCain.com). Volunteers are free to leave whenever but we will also be passing signs out at the end of the event. Let me know if you plan to attend! Please note: The event – if you choose to stay – may end around 1…ish. J Bring coolers and water bottles, dress weather-appropriate and wear comfy shoes.

- On Sunday afternoon supporters all over Orange and Seminole counties will be participating in the “Yes2Marriage Caravan.” The purpose is to travel to several different locations, picking up cars and people from each, and end at Metro Life Church with a press conference! This will be HUGE for the campaign. We’ll start at Metro (leaving around 2pm) and head to Eastland Baptist Church, then to First Baptist of Orlando, then to First Baptist Church of Central Florida and end up back at Metro with news coverage (around 5pm)!! (See the route here.) If you’d like to participate, let me know. And don’t forget to decorate your car!! We would love for all the vehicles to look as if the driver(s) just got married with streamers and phrases written on the windows (Yes2Marriage!, Just Voted, One Man & One Woman, etc) and decked out with Yes2Marriage signs. See you Sunday!

- Last, we are putting together a list of the eight precincts in Seminole and Orange County with the largest turnout history for us to target on Election Day. Our goal would be for Metro to take two precincts each and cover them with sign wavers for the entire day. If you’d like to sign up for a two-hour slot at a precinct with high turnout, please let me know!!

Also, don’t forget that you’re invited to First Baptist Church of Central Florida (NOT First Baptist of Orlando) for the statewide Watch Party on Tuesday night, November 4th.

Finally…pray! Let’s be in prayer for everyone and this whole issue!

Standing with you,

Jennifer Lightfoot

Constitution Smuggling...DENIED!

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are now only seven days away from the end of Election Day. This time next week Florida will be a different state. What will this look like? Only the Lord knows right now.

But what we do know is that we can help. We can do our part! We can get the word out about this amendment!! We can NOT allow for "constitution smuggling" as Benny Phillips so aptly put it on Sunday morning! What has been foundational since the beginning of time, instituted by God as a picture of His relationship with the church, is not to be tampered with or allowed to crumble at the mercy of society's fickle dictation.

Like me, getting involved seemed overwhelming...more so, I'm sure, to any moms who are reading this! But even if it's prayer, that is huge. The gay activists are pulling all the stops! Your prayers are so needed!!! And, if you have a few minutes, could you make phone calls to friends to recruit them? If you have an hour, could you make calls through the phone bank? If you have a few hours, could you wave a sign at an intersection with your kiddos or make a delivery for supplies? If you are able to vote early, could you wave a sign at your precinct on Election Day?

There are many ways to help out!!! I would love to hear from you if the Lord lays it on your heart to get involved (I know you're all involved in so many things already and I greatly respect you for what you're doing!!!).

I remember waving Pro-Life signs on the side of I-4 when I was 10...what a powerful picture to see families at intersections or polls and waving "Yes2Marriage" signs!!!! Let's fight together...and for some reason I now feel like singing. =)

What Harm Can It Do?

Wow. Take just a couple minutes to read this short article entitled "What Harm Would 'Same Sex' Marriage Do?". Takes it to a whole new level, doesn't it??

We still desperately need help getting the word out. Please let me know if you'd like to get involved!

Marriage: ONE man, ONE woman

Well, for those of you I haven't forced to listen to a rundown of my day last Friday, read on! =) I was able to help out with a breakfast John Stemberger hosted for Central Florida pastors regarding the upcoming marriage amendment. It was soooooo amazing and I learned SO much! I took lots of notes but there's no way to communicate everything that was shared in the four plus hours of presentations! (I hope to soon post some of the things I've learned, though.)

As Danny reminded us Sunday, there is very little time left before the state will vote on Amendment 2...25 days to be exact! This is not a cultural "issue" but a challenge to God's direct mandate for marriage to be between a man and a woman. Yes2Marriage needs your help to communicate this - to get the word out and inform the voters of the opportunity we have on November 4th to fight something God hates (not the people - the sin!) and protect what He loves (the sinner - not the sin!).

Metro Life Church will be hosting a phone bank every weeknight from 6-9pm and on Saturdays from 10am-1pm. A phone bank is where you call people from a list and leave a short message on their voicemail or have a simple and short conversation with the person who answers. It's not difficult, everything is spelled out for you and basic training will be given when you arrive. And you can come as often as you can or just once if that's all you're able to do. I hope to be there often and would love to make history happen with all of you (think about it - what would the future of Florida look like with gay marriages? How will this affect your family? Do you know? I didn't. More on that to come =).

If you're closer to First Baptist of Orlando, they have a super-cool system set up so you'll have to tell me what it's like. =) If you're in our area and you'd like to help, leave a comment here or email me at jenniferlightfoot@gmail.com. If you are outside of our area, click here to find out how you can get involved in your community or county - I don't think we realize how desperately these individuals who are leading this cause appreciate our time.

Believe it or not, there are people who don't know about this amendment! Florida is the only state that requires 60% to pass and polls are showing we're about 50-something%...Your call could make or break it!

Below are some pictures from Friday...

John Stemberger: "Watch me now!" Really, he was amazing - never heard him speak before. God has really gifted him in this...

Jannique Stewart works with First Care Family Resources gave an amazing presentation on HIV/AIDS in Florida. You would be shocked with some of the stats. For example, FL is 3rd in the nation with the number of people living with AIDS; 1 in every 188 people in CENTRAL FL! are living with AIDS/HIV; since 2004 - FL had the 2nd highest HIV/AIDS incidence among kids 13-19, and Seminole County is 5th out of 67 FL counties of HIV/Aids. Wow.

It's true...

At the end of the morning, the group gathered around John & Olivia and prayed for them (see Danny on the far left? =).
And then...the press conference. =) Oh yes. I was so excited. It was a real live press conference with the mics on the podium and everything. TWO stations, four media people (all with their little notebooks taking notes =) and a whole lotta me taking pictures.

Go, John, go! The footage aired on the 5pm news Friday night!